The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-01-29

Fall River Cal. } Mail.

Y
How do fish hatch? In what
manner do they come from the
spawn? How many can explain
the growth of fish from the spawn
to the minnow? Probably not one
in a thousand, and yet fish d1an
article of diet ranks high. If any
person had asked the editor those
questions last week, he probably
would have answered 'just like a
chicken" if he had answered at all.
Now, however, through the kind
ness of Dibble and Shelley, of the
State Salmon Hatchery, we are able
to tell what we know about the
Matching of fish, and it will not take
much space, either, although to
describe the culture of fish correctly
would fill several columns. The
outfit provided by TIL tate to keep
up the supply of salmon consists
Of large building; number of
fumes about two feet wide, one foot
in depth and running the entire
length of the building; a large
number of square box selves or
prOpagating baskets with bottoms
Of wire crossed so as to leave holes
about One-fourth of an inch sduare
Through these fumes the water is
allowed to run, in a small, steady
stream.
The salmon are caught in traps
or nets when on their way to spawn,
and the eggs stripped from them.
These are formulated, the mass
placed in the selves and a steady
stream of water allowed to run over
them. The water of Hat creek has
temperature of 36 degrees, and in
this it requires about 100 days for
the eggs to hatch. From fifty to
to fifty-fve is the best temperature,
and with such they can be Matched
in six weeks. After the growth of
the egg has begun the mass sepa-
rates and each one becomes about
as large as a big pea. Soon little
black spot is seen on each side.
Those are the head and tail of the
minnow, and soon the little fish
bursts the shell, coming out oa the
top, and has the appearance of a
small tadpole with Il terribly dis
tended stomach, but instead of dis
carding the old abode it is attached
firmly to the minnow, and becomes
its supply Of food for ten days or
more, when it is able to rustic. AS
soon rs hatched the minnow wrig-
giles around until it falls through
one of the holes in the bottom Of
the box, when it is carried along the
bottom of the trough until a cross
piece or rifle is reached. Here
they gather, gallon or more in a
place, and keep up an eternal dart
ing and diving until the period of
their Imprisonment has expired.
So long as the food sack lasts they
will not eat, but with the exhaus-
ton of this natural supply an ap-
petite is developed, which, properly
satisfied, transforms the little inch
long samlet into the ten and twen-
ty-pound beauties, with sides of
silver, that gladden. the hearts of
the fishermen and tickle the palate
of the epicure. When about ten
days or two weeks old they are
turned into the stream, and soon
find their way to the shallow spots
where they feed and grow until
large enough to venture into deep
water.
Mr.. Shelley states that while in
the open stream not more than one
egg in thousand will grow to be a
fish of any size, in the hatchery IS
per cent can be turned out, and
ever 80 per cent under favorable
circumstances. This year only
about one and half millions OF
eggs were taken, but next year,
with the experience gained, they
hope to do better. And this is
how salmon Matching looks to one
who has never been there before.